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Published: 19/12/2011 - Filed under: Home » Archive » 2011 » December 2011/January 2012 » Destinations » Home » Archive » 2011 » December 2011/January 2012 »

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California, the most populous state in the US, is acknowledged and loved for a variety of reasons: Hollywood, San Francisco, Disneyland, Silicon Valley, LA, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Napa Valley, great beaches, craggy coastlines, inspiring mountains and much more. When there’s so much else on the list, it takes a while for Sacramento to rise to the top. Yet California’s capital city is a fascinating and worthy place to visit in its own right. 

Situated in the northern half of the vast Central Valley of California, Sacramento is comfortably set between the lively San Francisco Bay Area scene and California wine country to the west; the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe ski resorts to the east; with vast wilderness, hiking, boating and camping areas to the northeast; and the Sacramento Valley’s famed farmlands all around it. Though the city itself has a population of slightly less than a half-million, the greater Sacramento region is home to approximately 2.5 million people. 

Sacramento has come a long way since its founding in the early parts of the 19^th century, beginning as a small provincial outpost under Spanish, then Mexican rule. In fact, the city, the river that runs through it and the surrounding valley all got their name from the early Spanish settlers’ reference to the ‘Holy Sacrament,’ or the Eucharist of the Catholic Church. By the 1840s, an influx of pioneers from elsewhere in North America had arrived, just in time for gold to be discovered in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill, some 50 miles northeast. 

Sacramento exploded into a major Gold Rush boomtown and eventually morphed into the burgeoning state’s seat of government and commerce. After a few fits and starts Sacramento became the temporary state capital in 1864 and finally made it permanent in 1879. 

The city became an important transit hub and link back to eastern parts of the United States and onward to San Francisco and Pacific ports. In 1860, when the Pony Express began its 1,980 mile long service starting in St. Joseph, MO, it ended in Old Sacramento. Later on, Sacramento was the western terminus of the first Transcontinental Railroad. 

58 Seals & More

The majestic white California State Capitol building, reminiscent of the United States capital, with neoclassical façade and glittering dome was completed in 1874, and ever since has been a prominent feature of downtown Sacramento. The California state government is in fact, the major employer in town (although Ronald Reagan was the last governor to actually occupy the residence known as the Governor’s Mansion – which has since been sold by the state. The current governor, Jerry Brown, lives in a downtown loft. “Ah-nold” flew home to LA every day.) 

The gilded and marble capitol building is entirely open to the public, allowing citizens to experience the legislature in action, to enjoy various works of art or to take a tour of curious artifacts from California’s history. One intriguing exhibit shows the seal and motto of every California county, all 58 of them. 

Another important downtown venue is the Sacramento Convention Center, right next door to the capitol. With 134,000 square feet of meeting space, the Convention Center attracts meetings, conventions, shows and other large gatherings from around the region. 

The nearby Crocker Art Museum began operation in 1885 and is the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi. It recently completed an almost $100 million expansion making it one of the leading centers of art in California. In addition to showcasing an impressive array of artwork from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, the museum also houses the Crocker family’s own extensive art collection, as well as personal effects. 

Other worthwhile museums in and around Sacramento include the California Museum, California State Indian Museum and Aerospace Museum of California. Lovingly restored, the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park is another fascinating site to see. Stanford’s grand old four-story Victorian is used these days for important state functions and exquisite events. The first non-Native American settlement in the area, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park offers visitors docent-led tours, displays and stories from the period.

Something Old…

Besides Sutter’s Fort, the oldest part of town is Old Sacramento – and it really is old. At least one of the structures – the Lady Jane Building -- survived the Great Conflagration of 1852, and most of the rest are either original to the town or carefully reconstructed from around that era. 

Built in 1849, the Eagle Theater, the first permanent theater in California stood in Old Sacramento before being destroyed by flood. The replica of the Eagle a place is full of theatrical lore.

Various guided tours of Old Sacramento are available. The historic district is a huge hit with tourists as well as locals, recreating as it does the “Old West,” complete with wooden sidewalks, cobblestone streets, horses, frontier stores and shops, and some authentic museums.  

One favorite is the California State Railroad Museum which showcases 21 gorgeously restored steam and diesel locomotives. It’s the largest museum of its kind in North America – and very cool to see and touch these massive machines. Another is the Sacramento History Museum which provides a sobering glimpse into the people who braved this tough Western outpost in those early years. 

 …and Something New

The Sacramento International Airport (SMF) recently completed a major expansion, spending $1.03 billion on the design and construction of an entirely new terminal building. When it opened in October 2011, the project – nicknamed the “Big Build” – had spent nearly half its budget, $445 million, to hire local contractors. Meant to last 50 years without an upgrade, this project represents the largest capital project in the history of Sacramento County and offers a fresh “front door” to the dynamic region for those flying in. 

The sweeping new Central Terminal B has 15 gates, retail shops, restaurants and traveler amenities. At 670,000 square feet, it’s nearly three times the size of the building it replaced. The design lets in prodigious amounts of natural light and the highly visible exterior greenery and landscaping is an homage to agriculture in the Sacramento Valley. 

As one of the newest projects in the country, Terminal B uses an abundance of green technologies including low-flush fixtures, low-E glass to minimize heat gain and Certified Wood Recycled Building Materials such as the eye-catching re-purposed old wood panels adorning the ceiling. Common-use technology is widespread, meaning video screens and other items can be interchanged so gates can be turned around quickly to minimize downtime. The contemporary pod cluster seating comes with handy outlets, free WiFi and USB ports.

The terminal also makes extensive use of art, such as the Giant Rabbit jumping into a suitcase installation. (You just have to see it.) National, regional and local artists are represented throughout with thought provoking works on the ceilings, walls and floors. The Sacramento Airport is a major regional employer and the Central Terminal B presents a spiffy new gateway to Northern California.

Right Here in River City

Besides proximity to Napa Valley about an hour to the west, various up-and-coming wine regions are within an easy drive from centrally-located Sacramento. The numerous wineries of  Yolo County are close, and wineries abound in El Dorado County, Placer County, Amador and south in the Lodi area too. Many of these lesser known wineries have free tastings and offer a casual laid back atmosphere.

The lively college town of Davis (University of California at Davis) is about twenty minutes to the west. Farther down the road lie the charming Yolo County towns of Winters and Woodland.

Sacramento is best known as “River City,” since it grew up at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers; these waterways were critically important to commerce in the early days. However today the rivers’ primary importance is as a major source of that precious commodity, fresh water, vital for supporting agriculture and a burgeoning population. The Sacramento River is the largest river in California, and the second-largest on the west coast of the continental US; only the Columbia in Oregon empties more water into the Pacific. Sacramento’s rivers are also used for pleasure boating and kayaking, and in particular, are renowned venues for world class white water rafting. 

Another Sacramento nickname is the “City of Trees,” for its vast number of trees and greenery. A fine example is William Land Park, a beautifully manicured city park for strolling, biking or jogging. Hiking and pedestrian trails ring the city, including an outstanding 24-mile-long trail running along the American River. Fishing and house boating enthusiasts only have to travel a bit to the north to find the Feather River and Lake Oroville. Skiers and boarders are in luck, because Sacramento is less than an hour-and-a-half drive from some of the best-known ski resorts in the world – Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly Resort, Sugar Bowl and Northstar-at-Tahoe, with the elegant Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe residing in rustic luxury mid-mountain.

Sacramento’s wildly successful AAA minor league baseball team, The River Cats, plays in Raley Field, the city’s state-of-the-art baseball stadium. The beloved (when they’re not on strike) Sacramento Kings NBA franchise draws rabid fans to its home, the erstwhile ARCO Arena, recently renamed Power Balance Pavilion. This large facility also hosts lots of other events from conventions and trade shows to major concerts and even rodeos.

The Cal Expo is another large arena hosting a variety of events including the ever-popular California State Fair, complete with giant vegetables, cow beauty competitions and miles of cotton candy.

Sacramento sits happily in the shadow of California’s other colossal, world-beater, household-name metropolises, and doesn’t seem to aspire to be any of those. It’s not The City of Angels, it’s not The City by the Bay, nor is it Tinseltown, or Silicon Valley or any of its flashier neighbors. And for all that we should be grateful. Because Sacramento is what it is – a city proud of its history, its role at the center of the Golden State’s politics and geography, and its honest-to-goodness Western charm.

Truly, a capital idea.  

By Bob Ecker

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